NIAID RICHARD M. ASOFSKY SCHOLARS IN RESEARCH AWARD

RELEASE DATE:  February 13, 2003

PA NUMBER:  PAR-03-071
 
EXPIRATION DATE:  February 2006, unless reissued

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
 (http://www.niaid.nih.gov)

CATALOGUE OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBERS:
No. 93.855, Immunology, Allergy, and Transplantation Research
No. 93.856, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research

THIS PA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

o Purpose of the PA
o Research Objectives
o Mechanism(s) of Support 
o Eligible Institutions
o Eligible Principal Investigators
o Eligible Candidates
o Description of High School and Undergraduate Awards
o Where to Send Inquiries
o Submitting an Application
o Review Criteria
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations

PURPOSE OF THIS PA

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National 
Institutes of Health (NIH), DHHS invites applications from current NIAID 
grantees (Principal Investigators) to apply for the Richard M. Asofsky 
Scholars in Research (ASIR).  Dr. Asofsky served NIH and NIAID with 
distinction and energy for 37 years (http://www.nih.gov/news/NIH-
Record/03_21_2000/obits.htm), a major part being spent improving research 
training programs.  This announcement has been created to represent and honor 
his dedication to bring underrepresented minorities into the biomedical 
sciences.  The ASIR Program is to provide supplemental funding to NIAID 
extramural principal investigators for the purpose of supporting 
underrepresented minority high school and college students in their research 
laboratories to expose them to research career opportunities in the areas of 
allergy, immunology, transplantation, microbiology, and infectious diseases, 
including AIDS. These NIAID ASIR Awards are to be used to encourage the 
development of underrepresented minority researchers as outlined in the NIAID 
Strategic Plan on Health Disparities.  

This Program Announcement is an expansion of NIH PA-01-079 and reflects 
NIAID's continued commitment to the long-term goal of developing a cadre of 
underrepresented minority scientists.  This PA is specifically targeted to 
high school and undergraduate college students and is an extramural component 
of the NIAID's long-standing Introduction to Biomedical Research Program.  
This PA solicits applications on an ongoing basis. 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The NIAID is committed to increasing the number of underrepresented minority 
investigators in all fields encompassed by its scientific mission.  
Historically, the NIAID has supported a variety of programs for 
underrepresented minorities in biomedical research, encompassing high school 
through postdoctoral training. Although these programs have demonstrated some 
success in specific areas, only a few underrepresented minority investigators 
have become well established in biomedical research.  Therefore, efforts are 
being made to reach minority students at the high school and undergraduate 
levels to peak their interest in biomedical science.

The goal of the present PA is to increase the number of future 
underrepresented minority investigators by pairing scientifically focused high 
school and undergraduate students with successful NIAID grantees. Thus 
creating a mentoring relationship between the student and researcher from 
which the student can gain laboratory experience and guidance in a career in 
science.  

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This PA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant supplement to 
the existing research grant of eligible Principal Investigators. The total 
requested project period for an application submitted in response to this PA 
may not exceed two years. As the applicant you will be solely responsible for 
planning, directing, and executing the proposed training project.

ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS

You may submit an application(s) if your institution has any of the following 
characteristics:

o For profit or non-profit organizations
o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, 
and laboratories
o Units of State and local governments
o Domestic 
o Faith-based or community-based organizations

Foreign Institutions are not eligible to apply.

ELIGIBLE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS  
 
NIAID Principal Investigators who hold an active R01, R10, R18, R21, R22, R24, 
R35, R37, P01, P20, P30, P40, P41, P50, P51, P60, U01, U10, U19, U41, U42 or 
U54 grants are generally eligible to submit a request for the ASIR, which is 
an administrative supplement to the Principal Investigator's parent grant. 
Principal Investigators holding an Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15) 
or a Small Grant Award (R03) also may apply for the ASIR. Grantees with 
support from these programs must check with one of the individuals listed 
under the section "Where to Send Inquiries" prior to an application being 
submitted. ASIR awards to the grant mechanisms such as the R15, or the R03 may 
provide support above the established dollar limits. The P20, P30, and P60 
award mechanisms are eligible for supplements only when they contain research 
components.  

In all cases, at the time of a supplemental award, the parent grant must have 
support remaining for a reasonable period (usually two years or more). The 
purpose of the application is to request support for an underrepresented 
minority high school student or undergraduate student to participate in an 
ongoing research project. Specific eligibility requirements relative to each 
level of award are set forth in the description of the individual supplement 
programs (below).

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES

For the purpose of this announcement, underrepresented minority students are 
defined as individuals belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group that 
has been determined by the grantee institution to be underrepresented in 
biomedical, behavioral, clinical or social sciences. Awards will be limited to 
citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or to individuals who 
have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of an 
Alien Registration Receipt Card) at the time of application. Before submitting 
an application for a research supplement, applicants are encouraged to call 
their program administrator at the NIH to discuss any aspects of this program 
that need clarification. For general information about the program, minority 
candidates are encouraged to contact the individuals identified under 
"INQUIRIES" at the end of this document. 

The NIAID anticipates that by providing research opportunities for 
underrepresented minorities at the high school and college levels, the number 
of minorities entering and remaining in health-related research careers will 
increase over the long-term.  Accordingly, principal investigators are 
encouraged to consider administrative supplements under this program for 
minority individuals at the following career levels:

High school students who have expressed an interest in the health-related 
sciences and have passed advanced science courses. 

Undergraduate students who have demonstrated an interest in biomedical 
research and wish to pursue graduate level training.

In all cases, the proposed research experience must be an integral part of the 
approved ongoing research of the parent grant or the scientific group 
collaborating with the principal investigator and have the potential to 
contribute significantly to the research career development of the student. As 
part of this research experience, the principal investigator must describe a 
plan by which the minority student will have the opportunity to interact with 
the principal investigator or individuals on the parent grant, to contribute 
intellectually to the on-going research, and to enhance her/his research 
skills and knowledge regarding the particular area of biomedical science. 
Furthermore, the principal investigator must demonstrate a willingness and 
clear understanding that the purpose of the award is to enhance the research 
capability of the minority student and that the research experience is 
intended to provide opportunities for development as a productive research 
investigator.  Supplemental awards will be consistent with the goal of 
strengthening the existing research program and with the overall programmatic 
balance and priorities of the NIAID. Awards will be made according to the 
policies and provisions stated in this announcement. The award limits listed 
in this document for each career level represents the support NIAID will 
provide and does not preclude the institution's use of funds from other 
sources to supplement the award.

The NIAID ASIR Award encourages the recruitment of up to five individuals per 
grant. As part of the overall ASIR program, NIAID encourages partnerships 
between NIAID grantees at major institutions and local community colleges, 
tribal colleges, Historical Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving 
Institutions, and colleges and universities where Native American populations 
are high. 

Minority individuals may receive support from only one of these supplement 
programs at a time, but may be supported by more than one minority supplement 
during the development of their research careers.  Support under the 
supplement programs is not transferable to another individual or transportable 
to another institution.  

The ASIR Award is designed to attract underrepresented minority high school 
and undergraduate students into research careers and is not intended to 
provide an alternative or additional means of supporting minority individuals 
who already receive support from a research grant or a research training grant 
or any other NIH funding mechanism. Individuals may not be transferred to a 
minority supplement to increase the availability of funds to the parent grant 
for other uses.  

Applicants are encouraged to contact the NIAID institute staff listed under 
INQUIRIES prior to submission to obtain specific information about preparing 
and submitting an application.

DESCRIPTION OF HIGH SCHOOL AND UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

1.  HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS  

The purpose of this supplemental award is to provide minority high school 
students with an opportunity to obtain a meaningful experience in various 
aspects of health-related research to stimulate their interest in careers in 
biomedical, behavioral, clinical, or social sciences.  Any minority high 
school student who is currently enrolled and in good standing at her or his 
high school and is interested in biomedical, behavioral, clinical or social 
research is encouraged to participate in this program.  

PROVISIONS  

This supplement is not to exceed $3,000 per student in direct costs, including 
supplies, for a summer experience. A part-time experience during the regular 
school year would be reimbursed at the same hourly rate ($6.25). Equipment may 
not be purchased using these funds. Students are expected to devote sufficient 
effort to the research project and related activities during the period of 
support to gain insight into the process of scientific discovery. Support for 
at least three months is encouraged during any one year.  This may include a 
mixture of full-time summer experience and part-time experience during the 
school year.  Principal Investigators are encouraged to seek minority high 
school students who will devote at least two years to this program (i.e., 
equivalent to two three-month, full-time periods). Exceptions to the latter 
will be considered, depending on the circumstances of the applicant, the 
parent grant, and the specific request.  

See the GENERAL PROVISIONS section above for information about application 
procedures, review criteria, and funding.  

2.  UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS  

The purpose of this supplemental award provides an opportunity for minority 
undergraduate students interested in health-related research (biomedical, 
behavioral, clinical, or social sciences) to participate in a research project 
during the summer months and/or during the school year. This experience will 
be separate from any requirement of the regular academic program.  

The student may be affiliated with either the applicant institution or another 
academic institution. Any undergraduate minority student interested in health-
related research is encouraged to participate in this program.  

PROVISIONS

The salary for an undergraduate student should be consistent with the 
institution's salary policies. An additional amount of $200 per month for 
supplies and travel may also be requested. Equipment may not be purchased from 
these funds. Students are expected to devote the equivalent of at least three 
months full-time effort to the research project and related activities in any 
one year and, in most cases, the period of support for any individual should 
last at least two years. Exceptions to these requirements will be considered, 
depending on the circumstances of the applicant, the parent grant, and the 
specific request.  

See the GENERAL PROVISIONS section above for information about application 
procedures, review criteria, and award criteria. 

WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES
  
We encourage Inquiries concerning this PA and welcome the opportunity to 
answer questions from potential applicants. 

o  Direct your inquiries to:

Joyce Hunter Woodford, M.P.P.
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 2130
Bethesda, MD  20892-7610
Bethesda, MD 20817-7610 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 496-6722
FAX: (301) 496-8729
Email: jw25v@nih.gov

Diane Adger-Johnson
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 2261
Bethesda, MD  20892-7610
Bethesda, MD 20817-7610 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 402-8969
FAX: (301) 496-8729
Email: da15a@nih.gov

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

A request for a supplement may be submitted at any time. In making requests, 
the grantee institution, on behalf of the Principal Investigator of the parent 
grant and in cooperation with the minority individual MUST SUBMIT THE REQUEST 
FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS DIRECTLY TO THE NIAID. The request should not be 
submitted to the NIH Center for Scientific Review. Principal Investigators are 
encouraged to contact NIAID for guidance on their application. The request for 
a supplemental award must include the following:  

1.  A completed face page (with appropriate signatures) from Grant Application 
Form PHS 398. Include the title and grant number of the parent grant on line 1 
and the type of supplement being requested on line. 

2.  A brief three to four page description, prepared by the Principal 
Investigator of the parent grant, that includes:  

a.  A summary or abstract of the funded grant or project.  

b. Description of the research and career development experiences proposed for 
the candidate.  

c. Description of how the research and career development experiences will 
expand and develop the research capabilities of the candidate, and how the 
proposed experiences relates to the specific research goals and objectives of 
the parent grant.  

3.  A signed statement from the candidate outlining her/his research interests 
and career goals.  

4.  Biographical sketch of the candidate that includes evidence of scientific 
or academic achievement and biomedical interest. The source of current funding 
must also be listed, if applicable.  

5.  Social Security Number of the minority individual. (Although provision of 
the Social Security Number is voluntary, it will facilitate the processing of 
applications for supplements. The DHHS/PHS/NIH uses the Social Security Number 
for the purpose of accurate identification, referral, and review of 
applications and for efficient management of PHS grant programs.)  

6.  A signed statement from the Principal Investigator establishing the 
eligibility of the candidate for support under this program including 
information on ethnicity, citizenship, and a description of any previous PHS 
research grant support the minority individual has received.  

7.  The proposed budget entered on budget pages from Grant Application Form 
PHS 398, related to the percent effort (where appropriate) for the research 
experience of the candidate during the first and future years. If the initial 
budget period requested is less than 12 months, the budget must be prorated 
accordingly.  

8.  Documentation, if applicable, that the proposed research experience was 
approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or human 
subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the grantee institution must be 
provided. Adherence to the NIH policy for including women and minorities in 
clinical studies must also be ensured if additional human subjects' 
involvement is planned for the supplement component.  

9.  A copy of the most recent college or high school transcript.  

10.  If the candidate is a student at another institution, the application 
must include an appropriately signed letter from a responsible official at the 
institution of matriculation indicating that participation at the stated level 
of effort is approved and will not detract from or interfere with the 
student's course of studies.  

11.  If any of the research is to be conducted at a site other than the 
grantee institution (e.g. collaborator), an appropriately signed letter from 
the institution where the research is to be conducted must be submitted. The 
request must be signed by the candidate, the Principal Investigator, and the 
appropriate institutional business official.  

Submit an original plus five copies of the application to:

Devon Bumbray-Quarles
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 2253
Bethesda, MD  20892-7610
Bethesda, MD 20817-7610 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 496-6722
FAX: (301) 496-8729
Email: db400w@nih.gov

DO NOT SEND APPLICATIONS TO THE CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW 
REVIEW CRITERIA

The NIAID Research Operations Committee review requests for supplements using 
the following general criteria:  

1.  The qualifications of the candidate including career goals, prior research 
training, research potential, and any relevant experience.  

2.  Evidence of educational achievement and interest in science, if the 
minority candidate is a student.  

3.  The plan for the proposed research and career development experiences in 
the supplemental request and their relationship to the parent grant.  

4.  Evidence from the Principal Investigator that the experience will enhance 
the research potential, knowledge, and/or skills of the candidate, and that 
adequate mentorship will be provided.  

5.  Evidence from the Principal Investigator that the activities of the 
candidate are an integral part of the project.  

AWARD CRITERIA

The decision to fund a supplement will take approximately eight weeks from 
receipt of a complete application. Applicants for summer-only research 
appointments must submit early enough to ensure that funding is in place by 
the time the summer experience is scheduled to begin. In most cases, during 
the first budget period, funds will be provided as an administrative 
supplement to the parent grant. In subsequent years, continued funding for the 
supplement is contingent on continued funding of the parent grant and cannot 
extend beyond the current competitive segment of the parent grant and the 
availability of funds.  

Continuation of support for the candidate in the remaining years of the 
competitive segment of the grant will depend upon satisfactory review by the 
NIH awarding component of progress for both the parent grant and the 
supplemental project, the research proposed for the next budget period, and 
the appropriateness of the proposed budget for the proposed effort.  

In non-competing continuation applications, the progress report and budget for 
the minority supplement must be clearly delineated from the progress report 
and budget for the parent grant. The progress report must include information 
about the research and career development activities supported by the 
supplement even if support for future years is not requested.  

In future competing applications, funds for continuation of support of the 
supplemental award will depend on the successful renewal of the parent grant 
and will be handled as follows:  

o For minority students who have not yet completed their research experience, 
funds for the continuation of support must be requested as a research 
supplement to ensure continued tracking of the individual supported. The 
request for continued support should not be included in the competing renewal, 
but instead, should be prepared as a letter with information on research 
progress and accomplishments of the minority individual. The request must be 
addressed to the program administrator of the parent grant and must be 
submitted promptly in anticipation of a renewal award to avoid an interruption 
of support. Support to individual students by this mechanism will be limited 
to five years. Additional time may be considered, but must be well justified.  

REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS 

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010: The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving 
the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 
2010", a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA, "NIAID 
Richard M. Asofsky Students in Research Award", is related to the priority 
area of human resource development. Potential applicants may view the 
electronic version of "Healthy People 2010" on the PHS Website 
(http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/) or obtain a copy of "Healthy 
People 2010" (Print Version: Stock No. 017-001-00547-9; CD ROM: Stock No. 017-
001-00549-5) from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, 
Washington, DC 20402-9325 (Telephone 202-512-1800).

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance at 
http://www.cfda.gov/ in the following citations: No. 93.855, Immunology, 
Allergy, and Transplantation Research and No. 93.856, Microbiology and 
Infectious Diseases Research. The statutory authorities for these grant awards 
are sections 301, 510, 515, and 504 of the Public Health Service Act.  Federal 
regulations at 42 CFR Part 52, "Grants for Research Projects" and 45 CFR part 
74, "Administration of Grants," are applicable to these awards.  Grants must 
be administered in accordance with the NIH Grants Policy Statement (10/98) 
available at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.  All awards are 
subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations 
described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a 
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products.  In 
addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking 
in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which 
regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early 
childhood development services are provided to children.  This is consistent 
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of 
the American people.


Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices


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